Blah Blah Blah: How Can We Describe the Power of Words?

LBB’s Casey Martin spoke to some of Australia’s foremost copywriters about the power of words

Anneliese Sullivan, senior copywriter - DDB Melbourne

I remember sitting in a uni lecture about how language shapes our perceptions — speakers of European languages that ascribe gender to objects tended to describe these objects with other gendered undertones, despite there being no real reason for their assigned masculinity or femininity. Languages that use cardinal directions every day (like many First Nations languages) means their speakers are more aware of their geographical location than those who more often describe directions in relation to the self — using ‘left’ and ‘right’, ‘behind’ and ‘in front’.

Nearly a decade on, and particularly in a time when suddenly I’m not the only one who cares about grammar (the singular ‘they’ is correct, by the way, and always has been — plus, let’s just be nice to each other), I’m reminded of the weight of my words. As we build peoples’ perceptions of brands as advertisers, we build — at least to some extent — their perceptions of the world. The words we use to describe bodies, for example, will have a lasting impact on the body image of a generation (I grew up in the noughties, so I should know). 

The fictional worlds we create in our ads have the possibility to not just reflect the culture of the day, but to shape it. It’s a big responsibility, but it’s also a great opportunity. Let’s use it well.